What McCain needs to say

Tomorrow's debate will, barring some enormously ground-shaking event, be John McCain's last shot to win this election. We are three weeks out and the trend in every key state is not looking good for the senior senator. He needs to make this one count. If he doesn't, it's time for us to prepare ourselves mentally for a Democratic House, Democratic Senate and Democratic President running our nation in a time of war, recession and uncertainty on the Supreme Court, where 5 of the 9 Justices are age 70 or older.

McCain needs to make this country wake up and realize what's really at stake here. The issue that comes first, second and third is the ECONOMY. If I were advising McCain, I would make the following (lengthy) hypothetical quote as my final push message. It is formulated to fit in line with my idea for a commercial, but should also be adopted for the debate.

"Today, this nation faces challenges of a magnitude few of us have seen in our lifetime. We have a financial system on the verge of collapse at the hands of greed and corruption; we are engaged in a global struggle against forces of pure evil and hate; and the American people are suffering from the worst lack of confidence in their government in modern history. But for all of our troubles, we also have reasons to be optimistic. The foundation of our economy, our creative, innovative and industrious talents, are the greatest in the world; the freedoms our forefathers so elegantly articulated and defended are preserved; and our citizens have two drastically different choices in this historic election. I understand that, at this moment, I am not winning the hearts, minds or votes of the deciders in the American Democracy, the independent voters. I want to address them directly right now. After we cut through all of the talking points and polish, this election comes down to the independent voter choosing between style and substance. Despite what Senator Obama might say, you are not racist if you vote for me instead of him. You get to choose between a man who has spent his entire career running for higher and higher offices on the backs of domestic terrorists, radical America-haters and the people who's policies and philosophies have caused our current economic mess. Or, you can vote for me. I am person who has, despite all of my shortcomings, fought for what was right for our nation for my entire life. I have a record of taking on people who need to be brought to justice, regardless of party affiliation or personal consequence. Senator Obama, for all of his bi-partisan rhetoric, has never once stood up to his party. How do you, the independent voter, expect from Senator Obama the tough, relentless effort to bring the responsible parties to justice when he has never even made an attempt to do so in the past? I understand that you are angry about the mess we are in; I am too. I share your disdain for the Bush Administration's reckless ways. But I am also sick and tired of listening to my opponent lay this entire mess at the feet of my party. There are responsible people, some of whom are good friends and supporters of Obama, on both sides of the aisle whose hands are dirty; they need to be brought to justice. I have the fortitude to do it, Barack Obama has shown the world that he does not."

McCain's Way Forward

Yesterday's debate, while a fantastic display of the fundamental differences between the two realistic candidates for President, largely appears to be a non-event in terms of campaign momentum. That spells trouble for our hero and candidate, John McCain. With Senator Obama's frightening climb in the polls as our economy falls into a state of near despair, Senator McCain needed to make a drastic shift in the race. He needed to (and still has the chance to) harness the feelings of average Americans. We are worried, anxious, fearful and mad as hell. While McCain's words came close to matching that tonight, his attitude didn't.

Democrats have, for some mysterious reason, been able to put this crisis almost completely around the necks of Republicans. This is hogwash of the highest order and if John McCain and the other Republicans running for office cannot mount a more convincing counter argument, they might not deserve to win. Please see the previous post for a very important news clip regarding these issues and where different key players have stood on this sub-prime issue. Here is what we wanted to hear Senator McCain say, in forceful posture, directly to Senator Obama:

"In 2006, I co-sponsored legislation that would have reformed Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac in an effort to prohibit them from using the polices that are DIRECTLY responsible for our current economic crisis. And Senator Obama, what did you have to say about that bill? Oh right, you were too busy taking campaign contributions from those organization's leaders and using it to run for President to be bothered with that silly little task of VOTING on the bill. You didn't even vote, but you sure got a lot of their money!"

In the real debate, he made mention of the contributions and some reference was made to his bill, but he largely allowed Senator Obama to get away with pinning McCain with the label "de-regulator". On this and several other key economic issues, this is simply a falsehood that hurts McCain greatly. McCain co-sponsored a bill in 2006 (thats two years ago, folks) that would have changed the regulations making it harder or downright impossible for Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac to continue the practices that caused this situation! Obama couldn't even be bothered to go on record by voting! You tell me who the de-regulator really is.

Now the debate is over and we need to map out a clear course of action for Senator McCain to recover in the polls and go on to victory in the general election. If anyone has the ability to come back from this, its John McCain. After all, the man has been counted out more times than last year's New York Football Giants! Both were underdogs going in and both will come out on top when the history books are written!

The best political asset McCain has is his brand. People know and respect the American hero that he is and the independent political leader he has consistency shown himself to be. The general reputation he has earned, outside the realm of the intellectually stunted media and the unyielding liberal Obamanation, is that of an honest and forthright moderate who works to join seemingly conflicting ideologies into coherent and proper policy decisions. The key is reconnecting the people to that image. The simple and paramount question is how?

The slick TV ads with the ominous female voiceover announcer might have worked a while ago, but they don't fit with McCain's stated goals for campaign content and we question their overall effectiveness on swaying undecided voters.

Instead of "I'm John McCain and I approve this message" followed by 30 seconds of Obama bashing, however warranted and accurate it may be, McCain needs to film himself talking and connecting with the voters on an individual level. We imagine a script would go something along the lines of : "Hello, I'm Senator John McCain and I'm asking for a small amount of time out of your busy day to explain to you why I am asking for the privilege of serving you as our nation's next President......." Then, for the next 30, 60 or 90 seconds, Americans (or, more specifically, citizens of key battleground states) see and hear John McCain explaining his position on a critical issue or theme and defining his policy agenda on his own terms, face to face with the voter. This format is much more personal and, we believe, will resonate much better with undecided voters who will see the ads as something of a mini-speech, a conversation if you will. This would be a stark contrast to the current ads both campaigns have running, where the candidates hide behind ominous music, narrators and flashy graphics showing quotes disparaging or contradicting their opponents interests. If John McCain can convincingly shoot an ad like this, it will be seen as a man coming out from behind the safety of his intellectual fort to directly stand in the way of Obama becoming our next President, rather than staying behind these safety walls of mind-numbing glossy productions and lobbing rhetorical grenades at the other side.

Additionally, and secondarily, McCain needs to articulate in a clear and accurate manner the differences in philosophy, judgment and policy that separate himself from Senator Obama. We are well aware that the McCain camp has been stressing this throughout the campaign and we are saying that they have thus far failed to do so in anything resembling a positive way. McCain has been allowed the Obama camp to cast him as "Bush's third term" when, in reality, we challenge the average outsider to find a more rage-inducing Republican from the standpoint of the Bush administration. The McCain camp should not think that negatively defining Obama is alone enough to make the case stick. The honest and "McCain-like" thing to do would be to lay out the differences and say "If you agree with Senator Obama, then he is who you should vote for. But if you are unsure or you share my values and goals but are anxious for change from the current administration, I'm the one you want." That kind of straightforward willingness to lay his ideals before himself and his political future is what got McCain where he is today and it would serve him well to do that at this juncture. A man who stands on rhetoric alone is a man soon to come crashing to the ground. The American people know that and if McCain can appear to be the man who stands for more than just words and empty promises, he will win this election.


We leave the target locations and specifics of the advertisements up to people much more knowledgeable in those areas that us. The electoral map and what issues resonate best in what parts of the nation are complex and require more studious review than any of us could provide to the campaign. However, coming from the perspective of college students in a state that is a good deal away from the fray and intellectual hangups of the beltway, we believe the basic strategy is the right course for this campaign going forward.


-Andrew Jones, Michael Hilburn & Eric Fischer

McCain, COME TO WASHINGTON (State)!

Many in the political circuit in my home state of Washington were abuzz last week with word that a new poll shows Senator McCain a mere two percentage points behind Senator Obama in the Evergreen State.

That number is down from double-digit lead just weeks ago. If that poll is supported by others, it would be very wise for the McCain campaign to send one or both of the candidates out to the friendlier Washington along with some ad money. It would be a cheaper play than going full bore in California and it would force the Obama camp to spend time and money in a part of the country long thought to be a lock for their column on election night. And, with the governor of Alaska on the ticket, who knows, maybe Washington State will surprise a lot of people (myself included) and color itself red for the first time in a very very long time. Lets not forget that in Washington State, change equals Republican!


-Andrew Jones

The Case for Meg Whitman

With all of this talk about Mitt Romney being the apparent running-mate in waiting for John McCain, I just wanted to make my case for someone else. It’s not that I wouldn’t supporter Governor Romney if he was the person on the ticket; it’s just that I think there is a better fit for McCain, not to mention the unity of the Republican Party. If I had my way, Senator McCain would pick Meg Whitman to be his running mate. In case you wondered why, I made a bulleted list of pros and cons.

PROS

· She knows the economy: She is the former President and CEO of EBay and one of America’s most successful business leaders. The appeal of Romney’s economic experience is also fulfilled in a Whitman pick. She was his economic advisor, after all.

· Many women would be drawn to vote for the first female Vice President in US history.

· She is not part of the Washington culture. A true outsider for true change would be enticing to people craving change, but still wanting correct judgment and perspective in a leader. Especially now that Senator Obama has gone with Joe Biden (the epitome of a Washington Insider), the argument that a McCain-Whitman ticket is true change would be easy to make.

· By choosing someone other than Huckabee or Romney, both men will feel that they have a strong future in the party (and a potential second shot at the White House later). This way, both groups of supporters can get behind the ticket without any hard feelings.

CONS

· We don’t know her views on abortion. The base of the party has made it clear to Senator McCain that anything but a pro-life running-mate would be met with significant disapproval and could singlehandedly keep him from winning in November.

· We know very little about her private life. According to all the sources I was able to read, she is single. That has been a point of interest for other single females in high office (i.e.: Condoleezza Rice).

· We don’t know if she can fill the role of “attack dog” strongly enough to combat the hurricane that is the wind that cometh from Joe Biden’s mouth.

From where I sit (far away from Washington, D.C. and from the decision makers in the McCain camp), I see the pros as a much stronger list than the cons. I think that choosing Whitman would generate extraordinary interest in McCain and would bring swing voters to his side come Election Day. Imagine the coverage the McCain campaign would get out from the mainstream press if he picked her!

The cons cannot be ignored; but I really do hope that as I write this, the McCain camp is vetting her to determine the unknowns that fill the list. If she passes through that as a viable option, I think Whitman is the right choice for this campaign.

This election season has told us that this country is primed for a change. Now that Obama has failed to deliver that change in his running mate, I say that it’s the perfect time for McCain to do it.

-Andrew Jones

John McCain blowup?

Today Senator McCain had what some weak stomached yellow journalists are calling a “blow up” when he was asked about the conversation he had with Senator Kerry when he asked McCain to be his running mate.

I don’t want to even get into the stupidity of the question or the details of the conversation. Rather, I just think it is very bold of this reporter (considering she writes for the New York Times) to take offence to McCain’s reaction to the question. She is, in my opinion, lucky that he didn’t kick her off his plane as soon as it landed.

I propose that, in order to prove a point and to gain creditability with the conservative movement, Senator McCain revoke the New York Times’ press passes, bar them from his events and demand that they retract their endorsement of his candidacy. They have slandered him so greatly and so dramatically that I find today’s “blow up” to be far too polite for these snotty liberal jerks.

Huckabee drops out?

For months, both Michael and I have been enjoying thoughts of a McCain/Huckabee ticket in 2008. As the race thinned down to these two, the idea we had cooked up during the long, drawn out flight between Seattle and Tampa seemed to grow some serious teeth. Until this evening, I was convinced that Huckabee was the most logical and most helpful choice McCain could make. While he may still prove to be a helpful choice, Huckabee is no longer the logical or likely choice.

By staying in the race beyond the point when he is mathematically able to win the nomination is selfish, egotistical, divisive and cowardly. It takes a real man to know the difference between a hard fight and an impossible one. Now that it is impossible for anyone other than McCain (or Romney, if this “suspended” business turns out to be a dirty trick), the fight has gone from hard to feudal. He is now running to hear himself talk; to divide the party and to, in his mind, secure running mate status. In doing this, however, he has angered McCain supporters and thusly seriously damaged his reputation and chances to accomplish his goal of becoming Vice President.

There is no good that can come out of this. There is no goal Mike Huckabee can have that is accomplished by him staying in this race. If his goal is to be McCain’s running mate, this action fights against it by angering McCain. If his goal is to promote conservative social values, this is fighting against it by keeping the party divided and thus making it harder for a lifelong social conservative to win the White House when fighting the general election against liberal abortion peddlers. So, unless Huckabee’s goal is to sit on his couch at home and watch Clinton or Obama take the oath of office, he is not helping himself.

Having said all of that, it is very important for McCain supporters to understand how dangerous it is to the party and its causes to be overly critical or disrespectful towards Huckabee and his supporters. He is a good and (generally) honorable man and his supporters are die-hards easily offended. We need to build the McCain Coalition, not alienate a key piece of the puzzle.

Governor, its time to follow the example of (I can’t believe I’m saying this) Mitt Romney and step aside for the betterment of the party, the nation and yourself.

Conservatives Unite!

The question for many of you is a simple one: Why should I support John McCain? Many of you feel betrayed by his refusal to adopt and fight for some of the causes you have undertaken. However, the bottom line is this: these are many very good reasons to support him. The fact that so many people have failed to get him to fall in line with ideologies he disagrees with is a surefire sign that what John McCain told you yesterday is what you can expect from him now and in the future. You can take comfort in knowing that John McCain says what he means and means what he says.

It is not often that we Americans get the chance to vote for an honest person. We have that chance this time.

It is not often that we Americans get the chance to vote for someone who isn’t afraid to stake their political future on principles. We have that chance this time.

It is not often that we Americans get the chance to vote for someone who can cross party lines to create common sense solutions, even when it is not a necessity of political survival. We have that chance this time.

It is not often that we Americans get the chance to vote for a genuine hero. We have that chance this time.

While I admire and respect the other serious Republican still in the race, and I hold the opinion that Governor Huckabee is a good (if not great) man, I strongly feel our nation needs a Republican president. Mike Huckabee simply cannot defeat the Democrats this go-around. He has a very devoted, yet homogenous base of support. This group will be exceedingly important to a successful McCain campaign, but at this time, it is simply not large enough for the governor to run on with any general election success. We need battle-hardened leadership. We need experience. We need untold amounts of courage. John McCain delivers to us all of these things.

Just as Ronald Reagan united the different types of conservatives into the Reagan Coalition, so to, we must allow Senator McCain to unite us into the McCain Coalition. If we hold out on him, if we don’t allow this to happen (and soon), we will be watching with tears in our eyes and worry in our hearts as Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama takes the solemn Oath of the Office of President of the United States of America.

That is how I answer the question “Why should I support John McCain?”

Thank you for reading,
God Bless,

Andrew Jones

Mitt Romney drops out

Mitt Romney has left the race. He “suspended” his campaign for the presidency today at the CPAC conference. Let’s have a read:

"If this were only about me, I'd go on. But it's never been only about me. I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America, in this time of war I feel I have to now stand aside for our party and for our country."

I must say that I am very surprised by this. I will not lie and say I am even a little bit sad about it, but I am amazed by the timing and humble mood of the governor’s speech. He concluded his campaign with more dignity than he ran it and for that he should be applauded.

Let’s go Mac!

-Andrew Jones

Super Bowl foreshadowing Super Tuesday

Hello all,

Congratulations are due to Eli Manning and the New York Giants for their upset victory over the much favored New England Patriots. It was a close fight, but in the end the better man prevailed.

Interestingly enough, this is the perfect lead in to talking about John McCain. How is that, you ask. Well, much like the Super Bowl, come Super Tuesday, we can expect to see a man who was once counted out come back strong and win a close and valiant effort against an arrogant and plastic-like New England establishment.

Just as Super Bowl Sunday has shown America that the tall guy will the good hair and pundit support doesn’t always beat out the guy with grit and spirit, so too Super Tuesday promises to show the world that not everything in America can be sold to the highest bidder. There must be something in the water in Arizona.

While I am always the last person to make predictions or call elections, I feel very confident that the voters in the Super Tuesday states will use common sense and vote their hearts and minds, rather than vote like a sheep, following the beck and call of Limbaugh, Beck, Coulter and the rest of that lot.

I am sure I will have much more to say in the days to come, but for now, thanks for reading and LET’S GO MAC!

God Bless,

Andrew Jones

AG or VP for Rudy?

Well, today was a great day to be a McCain supporter. The good Senator held his own at the Reagan Library debate and came off as the most Reagan-esque of them all.
He also received the stunningly full-fledged support of Rudy Giuliani today at the Regan Library.
I wanted to share one particular passage in the remarks McCain made that caught my attention. Please see the sentence in bold below:

"I want to say I not only thank him for his friendship, but his leadership of America...I want to thank him as we wage the struggle to secure the Presidency of the United States. There will be a clear choice this November and I believe that my life has prepared me- a life of service and a life dedication- to lead this nation in the transcendent challenge of the 21st Century, the great threat and evil of radical Islamic extremism that threatens all that we stand for and believe in. And my strong right arm and partner, and my friend in this effort will be the former mayor of New York City, an American hero, Rudy Giuliani.”

Now, when that statement is coupled with the amount of seemingly extraordinary enthusiasm with which a former serious rival is now on board with McCain, I am led to wonder, why? My best, uneducated guess is that McCain has lined up either Attorney General or Vice President for Rudy (THE LATTER CONSIDERABLY LESS LIKELY). In either case, I think this is HUGE news and great for the momentum of the campaign.

McCain wins Florida!

Well, my friends, I can sleep easier tonight. The far-right loons like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity do not own, control or dominate the Republican Party! John McCain is the winner of Florida Republican Primary and is the current delegate leader in the race for the nomination.

This primary was a Republican-only affair. For the politically inept, this was an election where only registered Republicans can win. So much for McCain not being able to win an establishment election. It was also a winner take all primary where all 57 delegates go to McCain!

Also, take note that McCain beat Romney among voters who identified the economy as the most important issue facing voters. So much for the big business candidate being the choice for people worried about loosing their jobs and making less money.

If the reports turn out to be true, Rudy Giuliani will be dropping out of the race and endorsing Senator John McCain tomorrow morning. How amazing. A more “establishment candidate” choosing McCain over the country club bred, silver spoon Romney.

I am spectacularly optimistic now that the tide is clearly turning towards a McCain nomination and another term of a Republican President. However, Romney has the ego, the desire and the means to make this a hard and bitter fight. We must remember to never call anything before the rhetorical fat lady sings. We must remember also, that at the end of the day, Romney supporters, and even Willard Romney himself, are on our side in the general election and regardless of which camp get the nod, we must unite to defeat the liberal candidate.

Tonight we dance, tomorrow we get back to fighting,

Thank you for reading,
Please continue to support John McCain
God Bless,

Andrew Jones

Michigan, what happened?

As all of us are painfully and extensively aware, former Governor Romney won the Michigan Primary election today. Hats off to him. It’s not in good taste to harp on the fact that it is his true home state, or the fact that it took a very substantial chunk of his own personal fortune to accomplish what should have been a relatively easy feat, so I won’t do that.

What I will do, however, is take note of several interesting things.

First of all, the independents and moderate democrats that make up the dynamic of the general elections in this country stayed home. They didn’t show up to vote for McCain as some thought they would, and they didn’t show up to vote for or against Hillary Clinton. These were conservative Republicans voting. Now, that sounds great to hardliners, like Hugh Hewitt and Rush Limbaugh, but it spells doom for Republicans in November. Rush, you can huff, you can puff, but you won’t be able to blow the general electorate back to the far right after eight years of George W. Bush. I wish you could, but get real.

Secondly, take note that exit polls indicate the overwhelming majority of voters in Michigan found the economy to be the most important issue when they made their decision. Therefore, it would be understandable that voters concerned about the economy would vote for the candidate who has the most experience dealing with it. However, notice two things; A) It is exceedingly wealthy Harvard MBA’s like Romney that outsourced the vast majority of their jobs in the first place and B) Someone with as much education and experience in economics as Romney knows full well that senator McCain is right when he said that some jobs simply won’t be returning. Honestly, it’s downright disingenuous to make any claims otherwise. But, with people wanting to hear it and with Romney desperate for a win, he was willing to sell the people of Michigan a bill of goods in exchange for their vote. This is just one more example of Romney going against common sense and truthfulness. His slick hair now seems to be a mere analogy to his political prowess.

I also want to mention something Fox New’s Carl Cameron reported. The campaign managers for the McCain and Romney campaigns had reached an agreement by phone that Senator McCain would be allowed to make his complete remarks before former Governor Romney gave his victory speech. However, less than a minute into McCain’s speech, Romney began his, causing all major media outlets to switch to cover his speech instead of McCain’s. While this is a sneaky and cunning political maneuver with which I would ordinarily have no problem, his campaign had entered into agreement with another to not do just that. The fact that he made and broke an agreement marks a new low in the total lack of class and decency exhibited by Romney in the more desperate moments of his campaign. Even die-hard Romney supporters should be upset that their candidate made himself look like a back stabber on national television. This cannot help the Republican Party in any way, as the liberal media will make sure to mention it over and over again in their post-primary “analysis”.

My friends, it should be very clear to anyone who has read anything I’ve written lately that I am in no way a supporter of former Governor Romney. I don’t like his attitudes, his campaign tactics, his style or his personality. I don’t think he will be appealing to the general electorate. I don’t think he can beat a Democrat in this election. I don’t think he can solve our economic worries. I don’t think he fully believes in the hardline conservative positions he once rejected and now supports. I don’t think he has any concept of what it takes to act in the realm of foreign policy and I don’t think he has the military understanding to keep us safe from a dynamic and evil threat.

With all those things said, I will support and fight like hell for former Governor Romney if he is the Republican nominee because this election is measured in scales of greys, not black and white. There is no amazing conservative candidate to embrace, and even if there were, the pragmatist would see that there is no way our country would elect him or her. America cannot afford to elect a Democratic President. We cannot allow the ideals of the femi-Nazis and the liberal fascists to hold the weight of the office of Commander in Chief. And we certainly cannot allow the anti-Capitalist policies of any of the Democratic candidates to be implemented. I believe Senator John McCain is the best man to fend off t he threat of these liberals, not to mention the evil Jihadists who would like nothing better than to see a President Obama or another President Clinton.

With Michigan a discouraging sign in the rear-view mirror on the long road to the White House, I, like all McCain supporters, look with hope to South Carolina and Florida, where the message Senator McCain so honestly delivers has more days to shine.

Thank you all for reading,
Please support Senator McCain,
God Bless,

Andrew Jones